The media has a tendency to create these narratives that don’t make a lot of sense, and it’s all in the name of getting clicks/selling page views. These narratives often inform public opinion and in such a way as that the public becomes ill-informed, and an ill-informed public is a bad situation for all involved.

For example, there is a portion of the Mariners fan base that think the ownership group is unwilling to spend money to bring in top-notch free agents. This narrative ignores the act that the team spent $118 million for 101-losses in 2008; or the fact that there are currently $49 million a year tied up in Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano. Fans in Seattle are starting to not go to ball games, and that makes it harder for the team to make money; and attract free agents.

The other narrative regarding the M’s is that the management is run by meddling people who don’t understand baseball.

Unfortunately, these narratives got a major boost from this hack job article by Seattle Times reporter Geoff Baker. That article portrayed the front office/management as interfering and unwilling to commit to the rebuilding plan that had been set in motion.

Baker has former manager Eric Wedge and former special assistant Tony Blengino on record in his article, as well as a few other unnamed sources within the article. The editors at the paper had to feel confident about those unnamed sources, because using two former employs to attack a private company is never a good idea.

The real problem with Baker’s article is that it made fan hostility worse, thanks to confirmation bias. And now there is a lot of questions regarding the work ethic of the front office; and that can cripple the team’s ability to bring in talented employs…from the front office to the team on the field.

One response to “Rants From the Palouse: Stupid Narratives Are Stupid”

Not quite sure where you find the hack job on Baker’s article Neil. All sources were cited and all parties were invited to speak. The Mariners could have said their part, but they didn’t. He went to Wedge and the scout and then gave the Mariners a chance to reply. All they did was whine about airing dirty laundry. Not saying Baker was the best beat reporter, but he is pretty good in his new role and in my opinion this was an expose of what I knew for a long time.